Recipe: Farro Pilaf with Vegetables and Ground Turkey

Here's a tasty, healthy dish of grains, veggies and lean protein. I made a big pot to insure I'd have leftovers for a few days.

Yield: 8-9 cups
Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 ounces farro
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cups assorted chopped vegetables such as onion, carrot, fennel, bell pepper
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1/2 cup white wine or stock
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
• Parmigianno Reggiano or other grating cheese

Directions

1. Bring 5 cups of salted water to a low boil. Cook farro in boiling water until tender, according to package directions. Drain.?
2. While farro is cooking, heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Sauté vegetables with tomato paste 5 minutes, or until just limp. Stir in garlic, add turkey, breaking up with a fork. Brown slightly, raise heat and add wine, cooking until wine is almost evaporated.?
3.. Stir in spinach and rosemary and cook until spinach has wilted. Stir in farro. ?
4. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Garnish with fennel fronds and Parmesan and serve.

This recipe was written by Peggy Lampman and originally posted on AnnArbor.com on Feb. 21, 2011.